Chairman, CEO and President of Becton, Dickinson And Co (30-Year Financial, Insider Trades) Vincent A Forlenza (insider trades) sold 11,532 shares of BDX on 09/06/2019 at an average price of $260.38 a share. Continue reading...

While all stocks present potential investor risk, some have traditionally fared better than others, during down markets. The following five stocks appreciated in value, from 2007-2009, holding up exceptionally well during the 2008 financial crisis.

These days, the healthcare stocks are looking pretty healthy compared to stocks in other spaces. Despite political pressures about lowering costs, "Medicare for All" and importing drugs, the sector has been riding high on a wave of optimism and growth. Demand for various healthcare solutions continues to rise as our aging population simply requires more. And that story is pretty much the same across the world.Even better is that recent market volatility has sent many investors into healthcare stocks for their high cash flows and strong dividend potential. Many healthcare stocks have long been dividend champions -- offering both high initial yields and overall strong dividend growth. For investors looking for income and the ability to keep that income rising over the long haul, healthcare stocks can't be beaten.The best part is that the sector's overall growth rates don't seem to be slowing anytime soon. That makes healthcare a prime destination for long-term investors.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 10 Stocks to Own Through a Global Recession So, which healthcare stocks have great growth trajectories and can pay you plenty of dividends for the long-term? Here's a prescription for five that fit the bill. Healthcare Stocks to Buy Today: Baxter International Inc (BAX)Source: Shutterstock Dividend Yield: 1.1%If you've ever been in the hospital, there's a good chance that you've used products made by Baxter International (NYSE:BAX). That bag of Ringer's solution connected to your I.V. is one of its most famous products. However, Baxter's catalog spans not only all the stuff needed for running intravenous drugs, including the tubing, pumps and connectors, but also a variety of premixed drugs and therapies as well.Those bags of basic Ringer's solution, tubes, and other hospital must-haves create plenty of repeat orders from facility administrators. You can't really operate a hospital without them. As a result, BAX ships more than one million sterile units each day.This niche has served BAX well over the years and has made it a profit machine. Last quarter, Baxter saw a 4% jump to its operational revenues and managed to see an adjusted profit gain of 16% year-over-year. This follows great results for the first quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of last year. These wins plus its recent top-notch results allowed management to boost its full-year 2019 earnings guidance.And there's a good chance that it'll beat even those better numbers. BAX has several new approved products hitting the market this year, including the only intravenous insulin product Myxredlin and new nutritional products. Meanwhile, Baxter is poised to see growth from increased home dialysis patients.With strong revenues already in the tank and future growth on the horizon, BAX should be able to keep growing its dividend as well. While it only yields 1.1% today, that payout has increased by 156% over the last 10 years. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)Source: Shutterstock Dividend Yield: 3.43%The major pharmaceuticals are some of the best healthcare stocks to comb for dividends and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) could be one of the best. The firm has a huge portfolio of drugs, including many blockbusters than produce ample amounts of cash flow. That plus its 3.43% yield is worth the price of admission alone. However, the real reason to buy BMY is its status as a major cancer fighter.That title comes from blockbuster cancer drug Opdivo. The oncology medicine pulls in more than $2 billion in quarterly revenues for the firm and continues to see growth. Last quarter, sales of Opdivo managed to grow by 12%. Meanwhile, Bristol-Meyers continues to pivot the success of Opdivo in other directions as well. And we can't forget the other cancer fighters under its umbrella -- such as Yervoy -- which also grew by double digits.The best part is BMY is going to need a bigger oncology umbrella. That's because of its pending buyout of Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG). CELG's portfolio and pipeline of cancer drugs will fit perfectly with BMY's. While the integration and antitrust issues are taken a bit longer than expected, the deal is moving forward and when it's finally done, Bristol Meyers will have one of the best overall cancer portfolios around. This should lead to plenty of growth down the road. Especially when considering that the government may have little ability to regulate them. * 10 Small-Cap, Up-And-Coming Stocks to Keep on Your Radar For income seekers, this could make BMY a top healthcare stock to buy for years' worth of dividend growth. Physicians Realty Trust (DOC)Source: Shutterstock Dividend Yield: 5.3%It's not just the drugs or equipment in a hospital that can pay some hefty dividends. The owners of the hospital itself could be the real income play. And that makes Physicians Realty Trust (NYSE:DOC) one of the best sleepier healthcare stocks to buy.DOC is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns 250 properties across 30 different states. The bulk of these -- around 93% of its total portfolio -- are medical office buildings. Medical office buildings are one of the more stable varieties of medical properties as they are generally constructed for this purpose only. Secondly, most of DOC's properties are signed to long-term leases and are located on major health campuses that are affiliated with leading health systems. This provides a very stable base of rental income for the REIT's bottom line.Even better is that 78% of DOC's portfolio is triple-net leased. This holy grail of leases means that tenants are responsible for paying items like taxes, maintenance and insurance costs. This provides better margins and cash flows for DOC's buildings. Those cash flows have been growing. since its IPO in 2013, DOC's FFO has grown by a staggering 195%. And while that torrid growth has slowed a bit in recent years, the healthcare stock still pumps out plenty of cash to fund its steady dividend. Moreover, DOC continues to use its strong balance sheet to perform smart M&A transactions to boost its portfolio further.In the end, Physicians Realty Trust is a great healthcare stock to add some yield to your portfolio. Cardinal Health (CAH)Source: Shutterstock Dividend Yield: 4.42%Truth be told, Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) has a few warts and isn't a pristine member of the best healthcare stocks club. The firm's two main lines of business -- drug distribution and medical devices -- aren't doing so hot right now. For one thing, the distributors are being taken down as they are the main targets of lower-price political punditry, while the kinds of devices it makes are directly in the line of fire from Medicare for All plans. Add in pending opioid legislation and Cardinal has been hit hard. Shares of CAH are around 23% lower from their peaks this year.But the drop has pushed shares into bargain territory. Today, CAH can be had for a P/E of under 10 and a dividend yield of 4.42%. That's dirt cheap, especially considering that its situation may not be that bad.For one thing, CAH is expected to see steady growth. As one of the space's largest distributors of drugs, including low-price generics, the firm has an entrenched position among hospitals and doctors. Cardinal did see its full-year revenues increase by 6% to a whopping $145.5 billion for fiscal 2019. And that leadership position throws off a lot of cash. Adding its low debt compared to peers and CAH has plenty of wiggle room to navigate the challenges, with a payout ratio of just 40%. Right now, it's priced as it won't be able to survive. That's just ridiculous. * 7 "Boring" Stocks With Exciting Prospects While it may seem like a risky play, CAH is priced cheap enough and it has a strong enough yield that it's worth the gamble. Becton Dickinson (BDX)Source: Shutterstock Dividend Yield: 1.25%On the surface, Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) looks like one of the most boring healthcare stocks. That's because the firm is one of the largest producers of so-called sharps products. We're talking needles and syringes.BDX's product catalog spans everything from insulin needles and catheters to more advanced regional anesthesia and drug delivery products. The real win for Becton is that these items are one-time only products. Just like Baxter, hospitals and doctors have to keep calling their BDX sales rep for more. This niche produces ample cash flow and its integration of rival Bard only boosted its catalog further.But BDX isn't simply staying in its lane. In recent years, it has expanded its portfolio into some high-tech devices. This includes intravenous pumps, surgery products and even PCR/life science equipment. These divisions have been growing nicely and are starting to contribute significantly to Becton's bottom line.The best part is that BDX's ample cash flows are allowing it to pay down the debt it took out to buy Bard faster than expected. Management expects to use that future cash flows to fund tuck-in acquisitions, conduct buybacks and boost its dividend further. Already, BDX has grown its payout by 42% over the last five years.Given its steady revenues and future potential, BDX makes an ideal dividend growth play among the healthcare stocks.At the time of this writing, Aaron Levitt did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Retail Stocks to Buy on the Dip * 7 Marijuana Stocks With Critical Levels to Watch * 7 Internet of Things Stocks to Buy Now The post 5 Healthcare Stocks to Buy for Healthy Dividends appeared first on InvestorPlace.

[Editor's note: "9 Super-Safe-Growth Stocks for Long-Lasting Dividends" was previously published in June 2019. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]When the stock market marches higher, it pushes the prices of many companies higher along with it. But as investors bid up good and bad businesses alike, that can make it hard to discern which companies are the best dividend stocks for long-term investors.In this income-centric world, income-starved investors face great temptation to reach for high-dividend stocks that offer juicy yields. Fortunately, Simply Safe Dividends identified the nine best dividend growth stocks that investors can rely on for secure, fast-growing income.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThese companies all have very healthy Dividend Safety Scores, which measure a firm's most important financial metrics to gauge how likely it is to cut its dividend in the future. * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What Let's take a look at nine of the safest dividend stocks in the market. These dividend-paying companies generate excellent free cash flow, maintain safe payout ratios, are committed to rewarding shareholders with healthy dividend increases and have bright long-term outlooks. Lowe's Companies (LOW)Dividend Yield: 2.2% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 21.7% Year-to-Date Gain: 8.8%Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW) is the world's second-largest home improvement retailer. Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (modified)With more than 65 years of operations, this dividend stock has gained recognition as one of the trusted national brands. Over the years, Lowe's has developed an extensive line of thousands of products for maintenance, repair, remodeling and decorating across lumber and building materials, tools and hardware, lawn and garden, paint, kitchens, outdoor power equipment and home fashion categories.The company serves a wide spectrum of "do-it-yourself" and "do-it-for-me" customers, including homeowners, renters and professional contractors from different construction trades.A large footprint of conveniently located stores across the U.S., an extensive range of products, a well-known brand and a diversified customer base are Lowe's key competitive advantages.The home improvement industry is also poised to grow as consumer confidence remains high, employment continues rising and home prices climb higher. This should lead to better growth prospects for the company and its dividend.Lowe's has an impeccable record of not only paying but also increasing its dividend since 1961, growing it by over 20% annually in the last five years. Lowe's price-earnings (P/E) ratio of 34.6 seems reasonable for a company of this quality. Honeywell International (HON)Dividend Yield: 1.96% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 13.0% YTD Gain: 26.4%Honeywell International (NYSE:HON) is a diversified global technology and manufacturing company supplying industrial products, software and services to a diversified set of customers. Source: Becky Wetherington via Flickr (modified) Honeywell operates through four segments: aerospace; home and building technologies; performance materials and technologies and safety and productivity solutions. The company serves customers through a wide variety of products and services in aerospace, control, sensing and security. It also sells specialty chemicals and advanced materials as well as energy efficiency products.Simply put, Honeywell has invented key technologies that address some of the world's most critical challenges around energy, safety, security, productivity and urbanization. With a broad portfolio of physical products and software, the company has uniquely positioned itself to sell comprehensive solutions for homes and businesses across many industries.A broad portfolio of technology, extensive products and services, a global distribution network, and a presence in growing areas like the Internet of Things and energy efficiency are Honeywell's key strengths. * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What A track record of strong financial performance and a healthy payout ratio have enabled the company to grow its dividend by 13% per year over the last five years. Honeywell has paid uninterrupted dividends for more than two decades.Source: Shutterstock Apple (AAPL)Dividend Yield: 1.5% 3-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 10.50% YTD Gain: 28.5%Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the world's most valuable companies and one of the largest positions in Warren Buffett's dividend stock portfolio.Apple is the world's second-largest smartphone company, accounting for more than 10% of the global market share. The iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV are Apple's key products, with the iPhone representing over the majority of its 2018 sales. These products are globally recognized for their high quality, premium brand and ease-of-use, allowing Apple to enjoy substantial pricing power.In addition, the company also owns a portfolio of consumer and professional software such as iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS operating systems that act as key differentiators. Apple's products and solutions are known for their innovative design, user-friendly experience and seamless integration. All these innovative products have established Apple's supremacy in the mobile space, and the company invests around 5% of its revenues on R&D activities to stay ahead of competitors.Moreover, only Apple devices run iOS, which means that if customers want to remain within the Apple ecosystem, they must continue buying iOS devices. This results in sticky customer relationships. Its sales of games, music and other digital content through the iTunes store is another high-margin cash flow stream that keeps growing every year.A leading brand name, global geographical presence, impressive product portfolio and super-sticky customer relationships have helped form a huge moat around Apple's business.Apple started paying dividends again in 2012 and it has seen its payout grow by approximately 11% annually over the last three years.Given Apple's leading market share, loyal customers, innovative products and hoard of cash on the balance sheet, the company should continue raising its dividend at a strong pace in the future as well. Medtronic (MDT)Dividend Yield: 2.1% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 8.7% YTD Gain: 12.5%Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) is a leading medical technology, services and solutions company serving hospitals, physicians, clinicians and patients worldwide. It owns a portfolio of medical products, therapies and procedures for a wide range of medical disciplines.Source: U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine via Flickr (Modified)Medtronic's operating segments are classified into cardiac and vascular, minimally invasive therapies, restorative therapies and diabetes groups. The U.S. is Medtronic's largest market, followed by western Europe, Japan and emerging markets.With nearly seven decades of existence, Medtronic has developed a strong reputation globally and claims to improve the lives of two people every second. Some of Medtronic's key innovations include the world's smallest pacemaker and artificial pancreas.As a leader in medical technology and solutions, Medtronic stands to benefit from growing healthcare needs as the global population ages. The business also benefits from meaningful barriers to entry created by various regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other government agencies. * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What Thanks to its product innovation and conservative management, the company has increased its dividend for 40 years in a row and last raised its dividend by 8% in June.Given the company's technology leadership and unmatched breadth and scale, Medtronic should be able to continue its dividend growth streak at a high-single-digit rate going forward. Investors can learn more about Medtronic's competitive advantages and business profile here. Texas Instruments (TXN)Dividend Yield: 2.48% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 19.6% YTD Gain: 31.5%Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) is one of the largest designers and sellers of semiconductors globally. It develops analog integrated circuits and embedded processors that are subsequently sold to electronics manufacturers.Source: Shutterstock The company's product portfolio consists of tens of thousands of products that are used to accomplish many different things, such as converting and amplifying signals, interfacing with other devices and managing and distributing power.Texas Instruments' focus on these segments provides a combination of stability and strong cash generation, owing to the products' long product life cycles and low capital-intensive manufacturing.Leading industry products, a diverse portfolio, unique technologies and manufacturing scale and a strong reputation enable Texas Instruments to generate stable and recurring cash flows.As a result, Texas Instruments has paid uninterrupted dividends since 1962 and it has recorded an impressive annual dividend growth rate of approximately 34.2% over the last three years.Last year marked the company's 14th consecutive year of dividend increases, wherein Texas Instruments raised its dividend by nearly 25%.Given its predictable cash flow generation, impressive dividend track record and reasonable payout ratio,, the company should be able to continue rewarding shareholders with double-digit dividend growth in the years ahead. Costco Wholesale (COST)Dividend Yield: 0.95% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 12.8% YTD Gain: 35%Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) is a membership warehouse club with more than 500 U.S. store locations that provide merchandise at low prices to its members. Costco sells a wide range of products, including packaged foods, groceries, appliances, cleaning supplies, clothing and electronics.Source: Shutterstock The company is the world's second-largest retailer by sales and it generates the majority of its sales in North America. Costco's membership base is growing with a renewal rate of over 90% as of its December 2018 quarter.Over its 35 years of existence, Costco has succeeded in providing a great customer experience by blending together the convenience of specialty departments and a selection of wide merchandise at affordable prices. It has become a trusted name owing to its low cost and quality merchandise. * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What The company buys directly from many producers of national brand-name merchandise and sends products directly to its warehouses, eliminating multi-step distribution costs. High sales volumes, rapid inventory turnover, efficient distribution and self-service warehouse facilities also ensure high operational efficiency.A large and loyal customer base, economies of scale, a diverse mix of merchandise, and strategically-located warehouses are Costco's major competitive advantages.Analysts expect Costco's sales growth to sit in the mid-single-digits range over the long-term, which could result in 8%-9% annual earnings growth in the coming years. Costco could, therefore, continue its solid pace of dividend growth. American Tower (AMT)Dividend Yield: 1.56% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 23.30% YTD Gain: 39.7%American Tower (NYSE:AMT) is a leading owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate. The company was formed in 1995 as a unit of American Radio Systems and it was spun off in 1998 when that company merged with CBS Corporation.Source: Shutterstock American Tower reports its results in five segments U.S. (59% of 2016 sales), Asia (14%), EMEA (9%) and Latin America (17%) property, and services (1%). It owns a portfolio of over 170,000 communications sites.American Tower leases space on its communications sites to wireless service providers, radio and television broadcast companies, government agencies and tenants in a number of industries. Its top tenants include well-known names like AT&T (NYSE:T), Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS) and Sprint (NYSE:S).The real estate investment trust derives most of its revenue from tenant leases, which typically have an initial non-cancellable term of ten years with multiple renewal terms, as well as provisions for annual price increases. It is difficult for tenants to find suitable alternative sites and as such the lease renewal rates are generally high.Moreover, the incremental operating costs associated with adding new tenants to an existing communications site are relatively low and annual capital expenditures to maintain communications sites are also not high. All these factors provide high cash-flow visibility and excellent profitability for American Tower.American Tower should keep growing its earnings as demand for wireless services and data grows in the coming years. A global asset base, recession-proof demand for its sites, long-standing relationships with customers and low cash-flow volatility provide a moat around American Tower's business.Simply put, wireless tower companies possess many attractive qualities. That's probably why Crown Castle International (CCI), one of American Tower's peers, is a position in Bill Gates' dividend stock portfolio.Given American Tower's history of double-digit growth in property revenue and the near-tripling of its dividend in just the past five years, shareholders can likely expect at least 20% annual dividend growth in the years ahead. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX)Dividend Yield: 1.2% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 7.70% YTD Gain: 11.6%Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) is a global medical technology company engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. The company uses independent distribution channels to distribute its products both in the U.S. and internationally.Source: Shutterstock Europe, EMA, Greater Asia, Latin America and Canada are Becton Dickinson's major international markets. Becton Dickinson is also growing its presence in emerging markets.The company has major R&D facilities located in North America, China, France, India, Ireland and Singapore. BDX's customer base is also quite diverse, ranging from healthcare institutions, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to clinical laboratories and the general public.Diversification across geographies, customers and products, strong R&D capabilities and a portfolio of successful brands are Becton Dickinson's key competitive advantages. With more than a century's worth of operating experience, the company is known for providing integrated products and services that seamlessly support healthcare providers across care areas. Its acquisition of C.R. Bard is also expected to create a stronger company in the future.Becton Dickinson is a dividend aristocrat with 46 years of consecutive dividend growth. It has grown its dividend at an impressive 10% compound annual growth rate over the last five years. * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What Source: Shutterstock Automatic Data Processing (ADP)Dividend Yield: 1.86% 5-Year Annual Dividend Growth Rate: 8.9% YTD Gain: 30%Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) is a top global provider of cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions, and a leader in business outsourcing services, analytics and compliance expertise.Automatic Data Processing's business can be categorized into two reportable segments -- Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization Services. By geography, the U.S. is its largest market, accounting for most of its revenues followed by Europe, Canada and other .Automatic Data Processing provides a host of services ranging from recruitment to talent management to retirement that help customers improve their business results and alleviate the pain from non-core, administrative tasks.The company serves over hundreds of thousands of clients ranging from small and mid-sized to large organizations operating in more than 110 countries around the world. It caters to the needs of more than 70% of the Fortune 500 companies.Automatic Data Processing is responsible for making payments to approximately one out of every six U.S. workers and nearly 13 million workers internationally. In addition, its mobile applications enable over 10 million of its clients' employees to easily access to their HR information.With six decades of experience, Automatic Data Processing has developed deep insights and cutting-edge technologies that have transformed human resources from a back-office administrative function to a strategic business advantage.A client-centric approach, long-standing customer relationships, extensive experience in payroll services and a growing demand for cloud platforms are Automatic Data Processing's biggest advantages.The company has raised its dividend for 43 years in a row.As of this writing, Brian Bollinger was long LOW, MDT, AMT, BDX, and ADP. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What * 7 Stocks to Buy to Ride the Vegan Wave * 4 Safe Stocks to Buy Amid Trade War Turbulence The post 9 Super-Safe-Growth Stocks for Long-Lasting Dividends appeared first on InvestorPlace.